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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

My biggest purge yet!

Hello there! Hope you’re having a GREAT week!

I mentioned earlier this week that I’m DONE with the decluttering of the basement…this is huge for me peeps. HUGE. Every year for the past few years, I spend what seems like half the year decrapifying this space.

This time, it only took me a whole year. :)

For reals. Seriously. A YEAR.

One thing I have learned on my decrapification journey is that ridding your home of STUFF is not something you can do just once every twelve months. At least in our house – it’s a constant process.

Now our home is a bit different than most. I mean, I tend to gather stuff faster than the average person. It’s the nature of my “job” – being a home decor blogger. Add to that a thrifty home decor blogger, and it just spells T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

It physically pains a thrifty blogger to leave that perfect such-and-such or so-and-so at their local Goodwill because if I see it, leave it and walk out without it, OHDEARLORDIMIGHTNEEDIT!!!

Like, tomorrow! Or next week. Or next year?

Or something like that. :)

Sheesh. It is intense people.

But over the past year, I was increasingly over the STUFF. I wanted our house back. I wanted empty shelves back. And I was tired of seeing wasted money sitting around.

This spot holds extra pantry and entertaining items, tools, craft supplies, electronics and my stash of decor stuff. Those plastic shelves are awesome! I think they run about $20 each and really hold up great.

The area to the left of my craft room will be our future movie viewing spot:

Hubs envisions a very large flat screen on that long wall. I see some gorgeous built ins. ;)

We used to have a massive weight system in that space:

And it had turned into a perch for STUFF. We never, ever used it. EVER. For months and years, we kept it, thinking we’d use it again.

We didn’t. :)

(In our defense, there were a few problems that needed to be fixed. We kept saying we’d fix them. We didn’t.)

And then I decided it didn’t meet our criteria – so it was GONE. I called a company to see how much they’d charge to take it down, and it was $250. PuSHAW. I figured I could totally do that myself – so I did.

I spent a few days with a socket wrench and took that baby down. It felt SO GOOD.

We didn’t use it, didn’t love it, so why keep it? Yes, I know it was an investment at one time. But I’d rather it go to someone who would use it, rather than sitting in our basement, acting as a coat rack.

Over the last few months, I’ve moved the majority of the Bub’s toys down to this space:

His DIY train tables are a perfect play surface and there’s plenty of floor space (covered with a carpet remnant). It’s so nice to have a spot dedicated to the toys!

The plastic shelves make an appearance in this area too:

We keep the kitty litter in the spot behind these (under the stairs), so to keep that area as separate as possible, I stapled some cheap muslin up on the studs behind the shelves.

I also hot glued a fun polka-dot fabric to the backs of the shelves:

It helps to keep the toys put and it’s just a dash of cute. :)

We already have some great lighting in the basement, but there’s a few spots that need a little extra. I’ve found these plug-in lights at most hardware stores:

They ROCK. Ours hold up to a 150 watt bulb. It’s fantastic for extra light! (They run about $7 each.)

One of my favorite changes in our basement is hubby’s office. It used to look like this:

Actually, it usually looked like a pit of despair. The floor was always covered with fake snow, ornaments, fall leaves and Easter basket filler. :)

Both walls were filled with storage bins, and eventually I realized it was a waste of great space. After MUCH purging, I moved them to the end of the basement instead:

I’m hoping to get some fantabulous shelving to organize these even more. It is ridiculous that shelving makes me so giddy. :)

Now that former bin-filled space is hubby’s office:

It’s actually a really cozy space! As cozy as cement walls and floors can be anyway. I like to think of it as loft-like. ;) Hubs writes music, so he LOVES this spot. It’s far enough away so that he doesn’t bother us with the music and we don’t bother him.

When I said I went through every little thing in this space, I’m not kidding. I can’t even believe how many paint cans we had:

Insanity!!

Even though I had purged the holiday stuff last Christmas, I still had a pile of STUFF that I hadn’t organized:

My tower of junk had fallen, so it gives a little extra drama to the madness. ;)

And I even went through each and every CD and floppy disk from up to ten years ago:

I spent hours at the computer going through files. I was determined to get it ALL done.

I took the last of the purge upstairs over the weekend and I was SO HAPPY when I saw the amount of storage stuff I didn’t need anymore:

Over the past year, I kept count of the large storage bins I’ve sold or given away. It was right at 17. Seventeen big bins – and I didn’t keep ONE. That doesn’t even count all of the baskets, small bins, shelves…whatever. All of them are gone!

I didn’t want the temptation.

From now on, if I can’t fit an item the storage we have, then something has to go. My hope is to never buy another storage bin again…forever and ever AMEN.

:)

I snapped that picture above and texted my girlfriends to come and get free storage stuff…and even after one showed up and took a bunch of them, I still ended up finding more to add to the pile:

And then more:

I was on a roll. :) I gave a bunch to friends, and the rest was donated or taken to consignment.

Obviously, we still have lots of things. I like things. Pretty things, shiny things, thrifty things. I’m just not going to let them take over our home anymore.

So now, our foyer looks like this again:

It’s the first time in months I haven’t had a Goodwill pile by the front door. It feels good. :)

And our problem area, the spot where STUFF went to die…is now organized and ready for the (hopefully this year, crossing my fingers, pretty pretty please!) finished basement:

Whew. Just…WHEW. It nearly beat me people. But I overcame the clutter. :) Now…if I can just keep it in check!

So that’s the tale of my biggest decrapification yet. It didn’t happen over a weekend. Or a month…or even a few months. But it happened. And that’s all that mattered.

Holy.....cow. This is sooo awesome! You are inspiring me to actually tackle my own home. Geeez. It is a little overwhelming to think about. But what you have done here is awesome and must feel so freeing. I am excited for you! I hope to be able to post something similar by the end of summer....now, to have a garage sale or not?? ;) Anyway, love what you have done here!

It looks amazing!! I can't wait to tackle mine this month after seeing your photos. I have painted the walls, laid gym matting down on the floor but we can't use it because its full of stuff waiting to to go goodwill or sell at consigment. It's also way to cold down there to be comfortable. How do you use the space and stay warm? If I could have heat it would make the space much more bearable in the winter.

sarah, it looks AWESOME! i am most impressed that you actually use that space and function in it. The lighting, i am sure, helps with that. We did a big 1-day purge of the basement on Sunday and i feel such a peace when i walk down there now. all is right in the world!

my kids all cried and whined for the entire 2 hours that we had them working down there. that sound gives me such peace.

j/k

i got on "angie's list" and searched for "basement finishing" people today, because it would so rock to finish our basement too. what are your plans? DIY any of it? be a general contractor? hire it all out? i love reading melissa from 320 sycamore's basement finishing stuff.

Oh my goodness! You and I must be related! I cannot resist buying something if it's a good deal, even if I have no idea what to do with it. My FIL passed away last March and my DH and I spent every weekend the ENTIRE summer sorting through his barn (2 stories), shed, garage, and house. TWO forty yd dumpsters FULL, countless trips to Goodwill, landfills, etc. That experience made me VOW to minimize what I have and never put my children through that. You have inspired me to continue my purging. I will be organized and clutter free :)

The fact that there's a constant need to decrapify is not a natural thought to me, but all the people who I know who live clean and clutter-free lives seem to understand this concept. My M.O. is to let crap pile up until I want to scream--THEN I do something about it. I'm reactive when I should be proactive; at least that's how my eloquent hubs would put it.

Second, thrifty folks like you (and me) can become hoarders (on a small scale) because there's always a use for something. Ughh.

Congratulations on clearing out so much stuff! It's amazing how fast everything accumulates. Just wanted to let you know about Dry Lok paint for cement walls in basements.(I'm not affiliated with them in any way)It's a waterproofing paint which helps with humidity. Our neighbor used it on their unfinished basement walls and painting the walls really made it looked like it was finished.I loved the way you organized all your space!

Way to go!! It looks awesome and I hope you get your finished basement wish this year. I am a near-constant purger of things like clothes and junk that starts to collect on our main floor, but I do admit I have a dirty-little-secret-storage-room downstairs that looks like a bomb went off in it. Crap. Maybe (just maybe) I'll work on that now that you've been so inspiring... ;)

Kudos to you. 1 1/2 yrs. ago I too began the process of "decrapifying" our home. Became overwhelmed with all the stuff we had crammed and stacked everywhere...we had even put giant metal shelves in the garage to hold bins. I will never accumulate like that again. By the way I LOVED the hardware light you got.

awesome!! you did a great job. The closest we have come to your masterpiece of an unfinished basement is right now & that is only because we are moving & trying to get the place showable for possible buyers :)

I'm glad that you got your space (especially the toy area) beautiful & at a time where you can actually enjoy the fruits of your labors!

Oh my goodness Sarah I have never seen so much *stuff*. Wow, you did it! I can't wait to see it as a finished family room. Take us through the process when you do. Did you ever finish your master bedroom redo with the sheets and the lighting behind the bed. Maybe I missed it. Just wondered how it turned out.

That looks amazing!!! I have been doing my house too! Room by room! My basement is last because things tend to land down there. And once it lands down there I have a rule it can't fly back upstairs unless it is out to the van to the goodwill. :) I have blogged recently about my kitchen and master bathroom and I purged HUGE trash can amounts and it feels soooo good!!!!

Great Great work on your basement! I can only imagine the back aches and hours it took. I bet it feels great. I recently started dejunking - been here 4 years but moved in right after chemo and radiation. Can we say - throw it in a closet please! I love the theater room idea. My husband built ours and it is fantastic. (We had someone do the finish work for us but the rest was all us). It's a haven for us. The wood work and built ins. The wall color. The high def projector. We love movies and don't have cable or anything. I haven't posted photo of it online. Let me know if you want to see the gorgeousness of our basement theater room by posting a comment on my blog and I will. Got some great movie posters at allposters but I'm sure you can probably find some great vintage posters somewhere cheaper. Anyway, love your blog. My sis shared it with me and it's super cute AND entertaining!

Congrats on the de-cluttering. As someone who is into feng shui, getting rid of clutter is a big step in ordering one's life. Hm...not a coincidence to me that you have made it to the debt-free zone the same time as the de-clutter is complete...

My hubby and I are both former widows who have been working hard to de-clutter not only our own stuff, now that we are married, but our late spouses' stuff too.

NOT an easy project, but our progress is ongoing and we nearly finished...woohoo!

Oh. my. word.... All that AND getting debt free?? You are amazing girl! You now define self-motivation in my book! Awesome job - and thanks for showing it, you are an inspiration for me, and make me believe I could tackle the same thing!!

I do wonder what you did with your paint though...I have some cans of paint I don't think I'll be using up (I bought a gallon of WHAT color?) and am not *entirely* sure what in the world to do with it.

Hooray! More stuff is always more to take care of! There is a constant flow of clutter in and out of our house which dramatically increased with the birth of each child...there are several times a year they must go through their toys and we purge. Some things are sent over from very well-meaning and loving grandparents that go directly to the box we donate to the orphans.

I am going through what I think will be my last decluttering/purging. I made a rule in our house about 2 years ago now. One in, one out. It sucks and yet it is freeing, both at the same time. I will see something and fall in love with it, and wait now...what am I willing to let go of to get this? If I can't think of anything, the item I've fallen in love with stays in the store. And, granted these are thrift stores. Still, a dollar is a dollar. Sometimes it is really HARD! But, bit by bit, we're getting our lives back. Due to family background, I grew up feeling everything has a memory attached. I'm breaking free from the cycle.

I feel the same you do as far as departing with stuff! I am now starting to think about "stuff" I have. I sold three things on Craigslist this weekend and made $160 AND I am selling stuff of Ebay. I was going to buy more "stuff" but now I think paying off debt. So, you've inspired me in more ways than one!

GOOD JOB!!! I just posted on my blog earlier this week that I will NOT buy storage. Every once in a while a plastic bin because we're still a growing family and we've only lived in our house for 4 years - just really it's like 1 time a year that I will buy storage. I even said that if I can't fit it in what I've got available, then it's time to get rid of some stuff!!! Great decluttering minds think alike :) I just started following you and I'm getting so inspired to really start decorating my house. I mean it's decorated, but now I want to really do it with purpose. It's time!!! Keep up the great inspiring work!

I'm seriously impressed! As much as I love blogging and crafting, I think at times it becomes an "I need it now" or "I need to make it now" obsession. Lately, I've been trying to shop my home before I shop the store...and cut down on the clutter I bring in. I think I often buy things just to have them, not to use them, and its a habit I'm trying to break. Thanks for the inspiration!

You are such an inspiration. I appreciate that you are honest and tell how long it takes and how much sweat and tears and HEAVY lifting, and maybe a bit of swearing, goes into a project like this. I have been working at it and had hopes to be so much further along before the temptation of yard sale season is again upon us. Thank you for getting my thinking back on track.

Holy cow! I'm so proud of you! I get hives just thinking about decrapifying our tiny 2 bedroom rental. Sadly the majority of the stuff ia ALL mine, Hubby, could fit all of "his" stuff in one small cardboard box. Lol! We're moving soon so I know this is the perfect time to go through ALL of my stuff & get rid of the crap I know I never touch anymore. Thanks for being a inspiration! :-)

I am so right there with you, I am tackling our Library today, the battle plan is to take 1 room at a time and finish it, including decrapification, painting, fixing or replacing furniture and accessories whatever needs done.Your spaces look awesome!

Your purging is awesome. I watched hoarders last night on TLC and even while it was still on I was filling boxes and throwing out! What great inspiration that show can be!!! :DThose plastic shelves are great since they don't rust and are fairly sturdy and easy to move if need be. The only thing that worries me about your re-do is the things hanging or directly up against the concrete walls. They will tend to draw moisture from the walls in time and may mildew. Taping a piece of plastic against your exterior wall, being sure to seal it all the way around, and watching to see if moisture collects inside next to the wall, is a good way to know if this is a problem.Thanks for sharing! :)

I posted about my basement today too, specifically how to deal with a tiny egress window and I mentioned YOU and your contact-paper-on-the-pantry-door trick. Check it out at http://tallgrassdesign.blogspot.com/2011/03/basement-window-solution.html

Wow you did a lot of work in getting your basement in order. I have bins in our new house from my childhood that I have not been in the mood to organize but you just gave me the push to go get it done and we will have more space. Thanks

I don't have a basement (or even a proper closet!) as I live in a small, shared apartment, but i am currently in the process of my own cleanout, and my foyer looks a lot like yours did before your friends took items and the rest got donated! That's my chore for this weekend, it is going to be so nice to be free of the piles of stuff!

such inspiration!! thank you :) we are currently in the process of remodeling our basement, so it is driving me nuts with all the JUNK lying around!! ah. we hope to have an outdoor building one day, to store all of our big bins (mostly Christmas decorations!)!

I haven't read all the comments, 'cause I want to try to actually get something done in my own home before I go to pick up my morning kindergartner, but I just had to say, "YEAH, Sarah!" I can completely, completely relate! And I loved your comment that your home might just float away 'cause it feels so light! LOVE IT. Also, I never imagined an unfinished basement could look like your husband's work space! Wow, talk about inspiration! Who needs a finished basement??? Love,Michiganhome

About 6 months ago, I heard either on the radio or TV that since the invention of the "plastic tote" sales have been blown out of the water. Also, companies and individuals opening Storage unit businesses has skyrocketed. Its all a fairly new thing-back when our parents had homes they didnt have totes...or storage units. They just bought what they needed and didnt go beyond that. Our society has just gone crazy with STUFF. After hearing that report it lit a fire under me to start "decrapifying" as you say and I havent looked back:) You did a great job! Very inspiring.XO,SarahHandbagsnPigtails.blogspot.com

Awesome!! I just read your post about an hour ago and decided I was going to take a trip to Goodwill.I had a bunch of stuff saved for a garage sale. The one that "will happen someday". I decided to just donate it. I also went through some stuff in our "box room". I ended up taking 6 overflowing boxes of stuff to Goodwill!! It feels so good to get rid of that stuff! I also have stuff "on probation" meaning if I don't use it in a month, it goes to Goodwill too!

Great job purging and getting rid of your clutter!!! It is always such a good feeling to step back and see a job well done!:) We have this same project to do but in the attic. Everytime I clean out my house and try to clear up our home up the stairs to the attic it all goes. Hopefully we have the same wonderful results!

Isn't it amazing the amount of money we spend on stuff that we never use? I have reached the end of the line on extra stuff also. I have just cleaned out my sixth house due to downsizing or death. We have left so many things and pieces of furniture behind because we couldn't afford to ship them hundreds or thousands of miles away at great expense. We can't use most of these things even though they are nice, because how many bureaus or nine foot deacon's benches can you have? So we gave most of it away. I wonder what you would call "the circle of life" for household things and furniture?Hakuna Junkata? Good job! Ann

As a completely OCD purge freak, you have made me very happy with your basement purge! Ahhh. I felt better just seeing those tubs going out your door :) Seriously, though, your basement is looking awesome: love the toy area, your husband's office space is fantastic! Lots of hard work but you did a great job!

I find the hardest thing is to "do something" with all the stuff you find, get rid of the paint (I've been hardening ours), donate stuff, throw it out (can only fit so much in the trash bins), whatever.

Congrats for such an accomplishment! My foyer is looking a bit like yours these days, but I know there is an end in sight!

I love, LOVE that you shared messy photos!! :) I'm right behind you on working on the basement - that's my next - or second to next - project! Thanks for being gutsy and keeping it REAL! You know, I'm going to post about this!

I LOVE Your posts! I have even featured some on my blog! Your basement looks great even though its not finished you have done a great job with it. I know you will feel so refreshed with all your new organization. Good job!

Good for you!! I have been de-cluttering my house since we moved back to the states in May. All this stuff we had in storage for 6 years while we lived overseas plus all the stuff that I hoarded while living away from Target. It seems endless but a little bit at a time goes a long way. I've noticed that I buy way less when I'm in the process of decrapifying so that's an added bonus!

Wow. Do you know how much you are inspiring me? In a bunch of ways? Paying down the debts is a big one (you are proof that it can, in fact, be done--we'll be done with everything except the house/car next summer)..and decrappifying (I've got THREE places things go to die...ugh...tackle one thing at a time...).

Thanks for your funny tale of decrapitation. I, too, get tired of stuff from time to time. Over the years, I have learned to not bring things into the house that I don't have a current project or spot for (saves all that boxing up and taking to Goodwill when I'm tired of it time). Secondly, I never concern myself with original price - whether I keep something or not, I'm not getting my money back. Sometimes it's a matter of space over stuff.Thanks for sharing your journey.Carolleegail

Decrapifying, lol! love that. You know something, declluttering is an ongoing battle. Every 6-8 weeks I make a pile for donation. then I say to DH "you know what? there's no way we have anything left. No more to donate!" and yet, here we are, about 8 weeks later again...and I have an even BIGGER pile of stuff to donate!! I'm very careful about what I bring into the house. But I don't know, I think it multiplies in the dark. I really need to stay on top of the clutter, to make sure it doesn't overrun us again. Maintenance is a huge part of it! :-)

I really needed this today! Haven't checked out your blog in a few weeks and I love the fact that when I did today IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED! I'm so done with all the clutter in my house, and now instead of stressing over getting it done in just a couple of days, I can take comfort in knowing that it is going to take longer than that, and THAT'S OK! :)

Wow! Next time you are de-crapifying can I be on the CALL list to come shopping. I might have a problem too, but I'm not at a place right now to part with it. I had a rummage sale 2 years ago and was planning to do a second one then never got around to it. It wasn't until this winter when the hubs and I decided we were going to finish the basement that I decided it was ok. Yet the thrift in my is constantly finding ways to reuse that stuff!

Thanks for the pressure to organize. I could use a kick in the butt from time to time :)